AMD cancels 10-core and 20-core Bulldozer CPUs

Beginning sometime later this year, Advanced Micro Devices was expected to launch its 10-core and 20-core Opteron server processors, codenamed Sepang and Terramar, respectively. According to its latest plans, however, the chip giant has decided to cancel these multi-core server chips and will keep its existing server platform for 2012 - 2013 server refreshes.

AMD had previously planned to release its 32nm SOI-based Sepang and Terramar chips along with new G2012 and C2012 server platforms this year, both based on next-generation Bulldozer architecture. The platforms, aimed at dual-socket and quad-socket servers, were designed to introduce PCI-Express 3.0 support to the enterprise industry along with triple-channel memory support for 2P server chips.

The company has instead decided to keep the existing server platform for its 2012 - 2013 server refreshes, which means that AMD-based servers over the next year and a half product cycle will lack PCI-Express 3.0 slots and triple-memory channel support.

AMD's 2012 - 2013 Server Roadmap

When asked why the architectural roadmap changes were made, AMD decided to keep its lips closed regarding particular details. The company has instead claimed that the new lineup "delivers better performance." However, we think the situtation may be due to the fact that 32nm Silicon-On-Insulator process technology is infamously difficult to manufacture without setbacks in the number of good wafer yields that can be produced for server-grade performance and scaling.